Eugene

Oh... I thought it was the frame he was drilling.

Same thing happened to my Shimano rear wheel (on a Tarmac) after 2 weeks of riding. Was replaced very quickly by Shimano, but with a different model and different colour scheme. I was told to accept as is.

I know you said it was a 2018 model. Did you buy it new? Drilling anything on a new frame will void your warranty. If it was second hand, then you won't have a issue as their is no warranty to lose.

I met this crazy character a few years back. We employed him to entertain at our water points at the GZT. He truly was a legend. I have been trying to upload a video of him, but it won't work. RIP Carel. Thanks for all the laughs you gave to a bunch of not so boring accountants.

That bakkie is long gone. I couldn't keep up with the fuel bill. (2.4l Nissan).

If they are prepared to pay me for advertising their product on my bike or car then yes, if not, a definite no. I once took my bakkie for a new exhaust. The exhaust place put a sticker on the tail gate. Some weeks later, took the bakkie to have some rust removed and the tail gate resprayed. The panel beaters left the sticker, masked it off and sprayed around it.

What you have here is a 2014 BMW vs a 2018 Mazda. You have to decide whether you want an older premium bike or a newer mid range bike. I would probably go the Schwinn route too if all else is equal.

First off, welcome to the world of skinny wheels. 1. I stay in PE so cannot answer this question. 2. You can wear what you want, but cycling shorts are recommended. 3. There is nothing pretentious/elitist about road cyclists. For most part, they are a great bunch. Now that you have moved into the world of smooth surfaces, let's hope your old mtb friends don't consider you pretentious/elitists.

Jip... It's a pipe dream. Most cyclists in SA seem to prefer risking their lives on busy roads than using the cycle paths.

Ja.. Was worried about a shock. My plan was to build up a cheap bike. I can't use much from my hard tail as it is a 650b.

I've built plenty bikes in my time. I kinda wanted to treat this as a project of sorts. I was just worried the frame may be beyond its useful life. Also, I do have spares of all sorts lying around.

I don't have a picture of it, unfortunately. Its R500, with a really stuffed and not worth mentioning Suntour fork that will probably end up in the bin.

Wow... Awesome looking bike. One of my favourites too.

I've never owned a full suspension bike before. I've been offered an older Axis frame for a good price and was thinking of building it up. What must I look out for? I would imagine the most important thing are the pivot points if they are worn. I would think bearings/bushings are easily replaced. It has no shock, so I would have to get that.

As a beginner, the best advice I can give is to ignore all the technical jargon. Most of it is hype any way. Just visit a few shops, tell them your budget and that you are starting and let them recommend a bike. For R8k, a hard tail is probably your best bet. Try to get Hydraulic disc brakes. Best bang for buck brands are Axis, Titan and Silverback.

Until you get mud and water jammed into the cables and those little arms that mechanical discs have.

Yes you did and I stand by my comment.

GT make some good quality products. Both of these look well looked after and good spec. Look like a good price

The rage at the moment is 1 x 12 speed. Personally, I don't think that this is for everyone as it limits your range. As a beginner, I don't think the number of gears is make or break. On a mtb, hydraulic brakes make a huge difference. V brakes (rim brakes) are also pretty fine, but mechanical discs are rubbish. If you buy a bike with mechanical discs, your first upgrade would be hydraulic.

At R2500, new is not an option. A Totem will not handle off road. I got my daughter one for the occasional road ride around the neighborhood and off the bat, the brakes never worked. No amount of tinkering would get them to work. You will have to look second hand, you may pick up a a decentish 26 inch around R2500. But it will be old, so take someone with you who knows about bikes. Not sure about the Cannondale you speak of. Generally, they are a good brand, but it depends on the size and how it was looked after.

I once chatted to the product manager of a local bike brand. They literally took a hammer to the frame of the prototypes they decided not to use.

I know that some of Merida's 26 inch frames did fit 27.5 wheels. Not sure if this is one of them. They certainly won't fit 29 inch wheels.

Please elaborate... What makes a Giant/Scott/Merida more refined and less old fashioned than Titan or Silverback?

I put a set of shifters on my daughter's mtb bike. Have had no issues, they work as they are supposed to. I've read some complaints about the road groups though. The shift lever at the bottom strikes the brake lever and the shift lever is plastic and has a tendency to snap

Damn.. Glad you are safe. Its amazing that they didn't take your bike too.